February 24, 2009

We have news of a faculty position in creative enterprise and public leadership at Vanderbilt, one that is open to those working in digital media:

Vanderbilt University is seeking an innovative and entrepreneurial tenure-track scholar to help build a new program in Creative Enterprise and Public Leadership. The program includes graduate and undergraduate courses, internships, and hands-on creative practice and is part of a larger Creative Campus initiative described below.

Research and teaching interests should be connected to one or more of the following areas: the economic, social, political, and cultural impact of new media and communication technology; creative industries and the organization and production of media, art, and entertainment; policy and regulatory issues in art, media, and culture; globalization and culture; and creativity and design in organizations and society.

Candidates will be considered from a range of disciplines and intellectual areas, including but not limited to communication, sociology, media studies, economics, literature, public policy, design and studio art, film studies, history, and digital media. The successful candidate will be appointed to a home department appropriate to that individual’s scholarship, but will be expected to teach in an interdisciplinary program of study and to participate with students and faculty in building a culture of creativity at Vanderbilt University.

Interested candidates should submit a letter and c.v. electronically by March 25, 2009, to Bruce Barry, Search Chair, at connie.sinclair@vanderbilt.edu. The cover letter should address why the candidate is interested in the core ideals of the program – Creative Enterprise and Public Leadership – as well as the larger Creative Campus initiative. A brief description of these initiatives appears below. More information on the Curb Center can be found at www.vanderbilt.edu/curbcenter/.
Vanderbilt is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women and minorities.

Background

The idea of the Creative Campus is inspiring education reform and enlivening campus life at colleges and universities across the country. The Creative Campus first became part of a national dialogue when it was discussed by college presidents, provosts, deans and arts leaders in 2004 at an American Assembly meeting at Columbia University’s Arden House.

Vanderbilt University has been at the forefront of the national conversation and has recently launched its own Creative Campus initiative which seeks to place creativity at the center of campus life – integrating art, media, design and creative expression into the curriculum; transforming campus spaces through public art and performance; connecting faculty and students across disciplines, with a special emphasis on the links between artistic and scientific practice; and building community, both on and off campus, by using art and creativity to animate conversations, reach across cultures, and bring people together around heritage, public service and difficult dialogues.

At the core of Vanderbilt’s Creative Campus initiative is the Mike Curb Creative Enterprise and Public Leadership program, which includes the Undergraduate Leadership Scholar Program and a Fifth-year Master’s Degree. Vanderbilt University will provide its students with the broad perspective and unique skills to navigate an increasingly complex set of factors that shape American culture in the 21st century: interdependent global markets and cultures; media consolidation; emerging technologies; labyrinthine intellectual property rules; and changing demographics.

Modeled after the life of Mike Curb – philanthropist, founder of Curb Records, and former Lieutenant Governor of California — the program emphasizes fluency across private and public sectors, commitment to public service, and a critical approach to decisions affecting the nation’s creative and cultural life – from museums to the music industry; from Hollywood to the 9th Ward; and from arts and crafts to interactive media.

Based on a deep respect for the value of both academic and experiential learning, the Curb scholar and degree programs include courses, seminars and workshops led by top scholars, artists and executives, coupled with internships and projects that provide first-hand experiences with a variety of creative enterprises.

The Mike Curb Creative Campus program, administered by the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy, is the first of its kind in the nation. With talented scholars and teachers, creative and entrepreneurial students, and innovative programs, Vanderbilt University aims to be a laboratory for new ideas and approaches to securing the vitality of America’s culture life.

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